Not Over Yet
by Luck O' The Irish Seamione
Summary: It's as if there is no hope left, good is loosing. The battle of Hogwarts was coming to a close, and just when Hermione thinks it's all over, an incident sends her back to an unfamiliar time. It's up to her and those she meets to change the course of fate and save the Wizarding World. Eventual RemusXHermione
1. Prologue

AN: I know there are a lot of these out there, but I wanted to try my hand at writing one. I will warn you in advance that in this story, she will not be remaining in the past.

Disclaimer: I do not own the world of Harry Potter.

Prologue

Flashes of spells flew through the skies, the castle walls began crumbling under impact, the dead dropped to the ground; all of this changed the once joyful setting of Hogwarts. This was the end. There was no way to hold them off for good; good would lose. Hermione, the girl who never gave up, had been refusing defeat. She cast spell after spell, stunning Deatheater after Deatheater, but it wasn't enough; they just kept coming. Her face was tired and distraught, but she fought on. She was numb. She didn't think of how little sleep she was going on, or the pain coursing through her body. If she thought of all that she would lose, so she pushed it away. She fought alongside her friends and loved ones, and it felt like every time she turned around someone she knew was lying there, dead.

There was a moment of silence, and Hermione's hand went up to touch the golden time turner around her neck. Mcgonagall had given it to her to use as a last resort, though, at the moment Hermione wasn't seeing what good it would do. They would still lose regardless, too many were already dead.

Hermione heard a shrill cackle somewhere to her left, followed by a crazed voice saying, "Scared, Weaslebee?" No, Hermione thought as she turned around sharply to see Ron with his wand held out and pointed at Bellatrix Lestrange. A vicious grin was upon her face and she had her wand pointed as well.

Before Hermione had the time to move, the words "Avada Kedavra!" had left Bellatrix's lips. Ron hadn't been ready, he didn't have the chance to cast a defensive spell or move out of the way, it had happened too fast. The spell hit him square in the chest and Hermione watched as the life drained from his face. Without thinking, a cry escaped her lips, causing Bellatrix to turn on her next.

Hot tears fell and left streaks on her dirt covered face. That was it, the war was proceeding to take everything she loved and cared about. It would probably even take her life as well. She had that matter to deal with as she saw that Bellatrix was raising her wand.

"Don't worry mudblood, you'll be joining your boyfriend soon enough." Bellatrix and Hermione locked in battle, matching each others skilled wand work. Hermione never let her guard down as she continued to block the curses being cast at her. Suddenly though, there was one curse thrown at her that she had no chance to shield. She thought for sure she would be done for, just as Ron had been. She tried to dive out of the way, but the light was upon her, striking her. Somehow, it didn't hit her though, well, at least not all of her. The curse hit the necklace in the center of her chest directly; The Time Turner.

The next thing Hermione saw was white. Everything around her was bright white light and it felt as if she were floating. Thump! She felt herself crash harshly onto a cold ground, then everything went dark.


	2. Chapter 1

AN: Here is the first official chapter, the next one will from the point of view of Remus.

Disclaimer: I own only my thoughts.

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Chapter 1

Hermione's head pounded and for a moment she forget everything that had happened. The ground beneath her was cold and hard and her body ached all over. Slowly, she rolled over onto her side, keeping her eyes shut, not wanting to see the carnage that had happened while she was out. Something seemed off though. There were no sounds around her, no signs at all of a war going on. It was silent. What could this mean? Was the war over? Surely she hadn't been out for that long. Nothing was making any sense.

Nervously, she opened her eyes and took in her surroundings. She was still in the Hogwarts Courtyard, only, it was far from how she'd last seen it. Gone were the ruined walls, gone were the dead, and gone was any trace that a war had ever taken place here. The confusion that was racing through Hermione's head grew; it looked as it had before, back when all she had to worry about were her classes. What was stranger though, was that there was no one to be seen.

Perhaps it was a dream... Or maybe she was dead and this was what the afterlife was like. No, that couldn't be it. This all felt far too real, and if she were dead she wouldn't be be feeling this much pain.

With hesitance, Hermione began to get up. Each sound she made echoed through the Courtyard, giving the place a very eerie feel to it. Glancing around, she noticed that while it did all look like the Hogwarts she knew, there was something different about it, as if it were somehow slightly less ancient. Dusting herself off, she wondered what she should do now. She could try exploring the familiar castle, but there was a good chance the rest of the school could be as it was here; deserted.

Hermione was saved from the decision of what to do when suddenly someone exited the castle in a hurried manner. Instinctively, Hermione's hand closed around her wand, pulling it out so it would be ready for use by her side. Whoever it was though, they didn't seem like a threat. The girl that excited looked about the same age as Hermione, she wore a Gryffindor scarf around her neck and Gryffindor robes. She had light olive toned skin, curly brown hair, and dark brown eyes. Hermione had never seen her before in her life, which was odd since they were seemingly in the same house.

The girl stopped in her tracks when she caught sight of Hermione. For a moment, she just stared at her, a confused but intrigued look upon her face. Hermione stared back at the girl, uncomfortable with the eyes on her. The look on the girl's face then melted away to one of concern and she stepped closer to where Hermione stood.

"Are you alright? You look hurt, and confused. What's wrong." The words seemed to speed out of her mouth like a bee zooming from one flower to the next. Hermione wasn't positive she'd even caught all of what she said. The girl's were scanning Hermione for any serious injuries now.

Hermione just stared at her blankly, more confused than ever. The only words she could muster were, "Who are you?"

Arching a brow at Hermione's reaction and the fact that she had dismissed her questions, the stranger took a moment to wonder what could have possibly happened to Hermione. "I'm Mary. Mary Macdonald. Now, if you don't mind me asking, who are you? I've never seen you before and you look like you've been in the middle of a war or something. Also, what's with the clothes, I've never seen anyone wear anything like that, not even in the muggle world." Again, the words came out of her mouth at a rapid pace. This girl certainly had a lot of energy.

Hermione was a bit taken aback by Mary's comments and questions. She glanced down at the simple jeans and slightly fitted sleeve shirt she was wearing and wondered what could be out of the ordinary about them. Glancing back up, she noted how the girl had been dead on about the war though, granted, she probably did not think Hermione had actually been in one. This was all just too strange

Suddenly, a memory from the war came rushing back to her. It was of Bellatrix, and the spell, the one that had hit the- The Time Turner! Hermione's hand shot up to where it hung from her neck, only to find that it was now broken and disfigured. It couldn't be…

"What year is it?" Hermione asked with extreme urgency.

"Wow, you really don't like answering questions do you?" Mary said with an uncomfortable chuckle. "Uhm, it's 1976." She was clearly confused to how the stranger in front of her could have forgotten the year. "September 10th to be precise."

Eyes wide, Hermione was freaking out. 1976! How could that be possible? She'd never heard of someone getting sent that far back in time, especially not with such a small powered time turner. Oh goodness. This was a disaster. She had to get back, but how? Dumbledore! Of course! He was still headmaster in this time, maybe he would have some sort of idea on how to get her home.

Upon realizing that the girl was still waiting for a response, her large eyes peering curiously at Hermione. "Oh, sorry. I just, I was a bit confused." She told Mary, trying to keep a calm demeanor. "I'm-" Perhaps giving her whole real name might not be the wisest plan, it could have some effect on her future. "My name is Hermione Green. I need to speak to Professor Dumbledore now, but uhm, it was nice to meet you. Thank you."

"Woah, I can't just let you go by yourself, especially not in the state you're in. I'll show you the way." Mary said, her face quickly shifting to a reassuring smile.

"Oh no, you really don't have to do that. I don't want to take you away from whatever it was you were going to do before finding me." Hermione recalled that the had seemed to be in a rush when she had first seen her.

Mary just gave her another smile, "I insist. Come on." With that, she began leading the way to the Headmasters office, which Hermione knew by heart anyways. "Besides, I was just heading over to the owlery to send something while everyone else was finishing up supper. I can send it afterwards."

As they walked through the castle, Hermione couldn't help but smile a little at the memories that came back to her. Her classes, spending time with Harry and Ron… Ron. At the thought of him tears welled up in her eyes. He was gone now in her time, and so might Harry. Everything was gone in the future.

Mary seemed to notice Hermione's distress because she asked, "Are you alright, Hermione?" Once again, this girl held concern for someone she barely knew. Hermione could tell she was very compassionate, and friendly too.

"Yes, of course." Hermione replied, putting on a fake smile. Luckily, before Mary could ask anything more they were interrupted by a swarm of students walking through the corridors. Supper must be over. As they walked up to the Headmaster's office, every passing eye was on the girl with strange clothing who was covered in cuts and dirt. Hermione fiddled with her sleeves nervously, but she kept her head held high the entire way there.

Finally they reached the entrance to Professor Dumbledore's office and Mary spoke the password, "Lemon Drops." The statue sprang to life, revealing a staircase. The two girls began the climb and soon that were at the door, where Mary knocked softly. A familiar voice from inside said, "Come in."

When the door swung open, Hermione caught sight of the Headmaster that was no longer alive in her present. She smiled; he may have looked a bit younger, but he was still Dumbledore.

"Miss Macdonald." Dumbledore said, nodding his head to the brunette. "And who might this be?" The signature twinkle in his eyes shone brightly as he looked at Hermione with curiosity.

"I'm Hermione Green, and I was wishing to talk to you sir." Hermione said.

"Very well," He said softly. "Miss Macdonald thank you for showing our guest the way, but I have a feeling the matters she wishes to discuss should be kept between the two of us.

Mary gave a nod before turning to Hermione and smiling. "It was nice to meet you, Hermione." After Hermione sent her a smile back, Mary turned and left the way that they had come.

Hermione turned back to Dumbledore, "I'm afraid I've got a rather large problem."

Dumbledore gestured for her to sit down in the chair across from him and said, "Please Miss Green, elaborate."

She first showed him the Time Turner, then proceeded to delve into the tale of how they had been at war with Voldemort here at Hogwarts. She told him where she was from and that her name was really Hermione Granger. He listened silently as she told him about Harry, and how he needed to defeat Voldemort. Then finally, she told him of how she had been dueling with a death eater and how their spell had hit the time turner.

"I know it all must seems impossible, but I'm telling the truth, I promise you that," She finished.

"I know you are Hermione, and I believe every word of it." Dumbledore said, the expression on his face was grave after hearing of the war. "It would be best though, if you refrained from telling me much more of the future. It can be dangerous to know what lies ahead. Unfortunately, at the moment I do not foresee an immediate solution to the problem of getting you back home, but I assure you that I will do everything in my power to help you. For the time being though, you can pick up your schooling here in this time. It will be an adjustment, but I think It would be the best thing to do at this point."

Hermione took in a deep breath to calm herself; it was all a lot to comprehend. She didn't know what would happen if she could not return home. She couldn't just live in the past, she would be at risk of changing her past, or her future. It was all so complicated to think about. "Alright." She sighed, "I was in Gryffindor, and I suppose I would be in my seventh year."

"Very well. I will have a bed and some things for you arranged in the Gryffindor seventh year girls dorm. There are already five of them, Mary being one of them, but with a bit of tweaking, the room shall accommodate six." He said softly to her, it was nice to have his familiar face before her in the midst of all this madness. "Why don't you go up to your dorm now and get settled. The password is 'Dormiens.' Everything shall be set up by the time you get there, including a set of clothing, new books, and everything else you will require for your schooling. Your class schedule will be given to you tomorrow morning at breakfast"

"Yes Professor." Hermione nodded as she got up to leave. "Thank you for your help."

"Oh, and Miss Granger.." Dumbledore said.

"Yes?" Hermione asked, turning around to look at him once more.

"It would be best if you continued to go by the name 'Green'. Come and see me tomorrow evening after supper so that we can discuss things further. Goodnight, Miss Green."

Hermione simply nodded again with a meek smile before leaving the office. Her head was still swamped with the events of the day, and as she thought of it all, she managed to find her way to the portrait hole without even thinking of where she was going. Taking a deep breath, she uttered the password Dumbledore had given her and stepped inside as the Portrait swung open.


	3. Chapter 2

A/N: I would like to thank my magnificent beta, Avespa Strife, for looking this over for me! Thank you, all of you who followed/favorited!

Disclaimer: I am in no way associated with J.K Rowling.

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Chapter 2

Eight Gryffindor seventh years made their way up the the common room after dinner, happily chatting along the way. Among them were the four infamous Marauders. Remus Lupin watched wordlessly as his friend James was animatedly going on about the latest Quidditch match and how in the next one, Gryffindor was sure to beat Ravenclaw. It wasn't until they had reached the portrait hole that Sirius Black piped in, noticing the lack of a certain hyperactive brunette.

"Where's Mary?" he asked, glancing around the group once more. "She was at dinner, wasn't she?"

Lily Evans looked up at him and furrowed her brow lightly, a look that told Remus that she was thinking back to dinner. "I think she said something about about having to go and send a letter," the redhead shrugged.

The group continued into the common room,and broke off into separate conversations amongst themselves as they got comfortable in their normal spots. Sirius immediately threw himself onto the burgundy couch, taking up the majority of it. Remus chuckled lightly at his friend, knowing the girls would have their say about that. Sure enough, he was right.

"Oi!" Emmeline Vance called, moving to shove his legs off the couch, "Make some room." She joined him on the couch once he had settled, followed by Marlene, who took the seat next to her. Lily sat in one of the plush chairs and Peter shuffled to the one across from her. Remus, James and Dorcas all found a place on the ground and tried to get comfortable. For the past seven years the group had become very close, despite the rifts that occurred, mainly between the Lily and James.

Remus couldn't help but notice that something was changing there though this year. Of course James was his normal love-struck self, but Lily was seemingly warming up to him, not that she'd ever admit it though.

"I can't believe we're almost done," Lily sighed after a few moment of unfilled silence. A sad smile appeared on her face as she looked around the room at all her friends.

"Done what?" Peter asked. His round face twisted into a look of confusion as he looked at Lily for an answer. "The week?"

Lily gave a light laugh, "No of course not. I mean Hogwarts; well, our time here at least. We've only got a year left. I've no idea what I'm going to do once it's over."

"I do!" James piped in, giving Lily a winning smile to which she rolled her eyes. "I want to be an auror. I can't just sit around with the war going on; I want to fight back." A glint of excitement sparked in his eyes at the thought of it all. It was the same glint Remus knew appeared in his eyes whenever he had come up with a new prank, or new task for the Marauders to do.

"W-wouldn't that be dangerous?" Peter spluttered out. He was the only one in the room not showing agreement to what James had said.

Sirius answered before James could, "No less dangerous than letting You-Know-Who take over!" There was a dark look in his eyes. He knew all too well what would happen if this went on any longer. He witnessed some of it first hand when he was still living in his family home.

Marlene, who, like Remus, had been quiet for most of the conversation finally spoke up in a hushed tone. "I've heard that there's talk of something forming. Frank Longbottom was telling me about it during the summer. It's completely outside the ministry, sort of like a counter attack group to You-Know-Who and his followers, that's what Frank said anyways. Apparently Dumbledore has something to do with it, I think he's the one starting it up. It's not final yet, but Frank said Dumbledore came to him about joining, and that he mentioned that the lot of us might be interested in the future."

Frank had been two years above them, and him and his girlfriend Alice had been training to be aurors since they finished school. He was good friends with them all and was always keeping them in the loop with what was going on outside of Hogwarts. This was big. If there was a group forming and Dumbledore was involved, it must be serious.

"I want in," James said. His usually animated face held no trace of a joke or laugh; it was clear that he had set his mind on this, and there would be no convincing him otherwise.

Emmeline gave a nod, "We should all do it. We're smart enough, skilled enough. It will give us a chance to fight back. I'm in too."

One by one Remus watched as all his friends agreed to join this force, even Peter. A solemn look fell upon him. He thought it was a great idea of course, and there was nothing he wanted more than to be a part of it, but there was just one little problem. What he was unsure about was whether or not they would even want.. someone like him. With his condition, it was rare that people gave him their full trust after finding out. A group of such importance probably wouldn't want someone like him to screw everything up.

He sighed, knowing his friends were all waiting on his answer, and finally, reluctantly agreed to join. He knew it would make them happy, but deep down he knew it could never happen.

After Marlene said she would fill Mary in on all this later, the conversation drifted back to regular topics, and they were interrupted a while later by the portrait door swinging open. Mary bounded over to them, clearly excited about something.

"Did you send what you needed to send?" Dorcas asked, craning her neck to see Mary who now stood behind the couch.

For a moment, Mary looked confused, then the realization struck her. "Oh! No, I completely forgot. I guess I'll have to do it tomorrow," she said as she shrugged her book bag off her shoulders and moved to squeeze into a spot on the couch. The excited look had returned. "Hey, do any of you know a girl named Hermione Green?"

A chorus of various different 'No's' came from the group, only propelling Mary's curiosity.

Remus furrowed his brow slightly. What could have her so excited. "Why?" he asked her, becoming quite curious himself.

"Okay," Mary started, practically bouncing in her seat, "I was on my way to the owlery and was out in the courtyard. There was this girl there. The poor thing looked like she'd been through some sort of battle or something; she was all scratched up and covered in dirt. Her clothes were weird too, I don't know how to explain it, they were just out of place. So anyways, I asked if she was okay and she started acting really strange, asking me what year it was and whatnot. After that she just told me she needed to see Dumbledore."

Mary continued telling her friends everything else that happened. They all listened intently, with a new found interest to this mystery girl. When Mary finished, not a pin could be heard with the silence that came.

It was all so strange. What if this girl had something to do with the order? She did want to see Dumbledore, so that would make some sense. Remus' brow knitted together as he tried to figure out the puzzle of the stranger he knew nothing about.

"Maybe she'll still be around tomorrow. We would be able to find out who she is then, maybe," Lily said. She was the first to cut the silence in the group. "She could be a new teacher."

"No," Mary shook her head, "She was too young, around our age if you ask me."

"Huh, I want to meet her. See for myself and all that." Sirius piped in. He was always interested in meeting a new face, especially if that face was a female, but his expression held something else. It was a bit different than the lopsided grin he always got when talking about a girl. There was something dark there, as if he felt that this stranger's arrival meant something bad. Whatever it was he was thinking, he did a good job of concealing it, but Remus knew him too well to only see the top layer of his emotions.

"I'm sure she doesn't want to be bothered by the likes of you, Black." Emmeline said with a sly grin as she stood up from the couch.

"Where are you off too?" Dorcas asked as Emmeline began to leave to group, book-bag in hand.

"Just dropping my books upstairs. Won't be gone long," she called back, already out of sight up the stairs to the girls dorms.

Remus sat in silence. He hadn't spoken since the beginning of the news, and was too busy thinking it all over in his head to pay much attention to the conversation. Who could this girl be? And why did it matter so much that he found out?

The swinging of a portrait hole alerted them all to the arrival of someone entering the common room. Remus' head turned to see who it was, and there, turning her head to look at them all with wide eyes, was a disheveled girl that perfectly matched Mary's description. He noticed all the cuts and bruises covering her visible skin. As he started, he felt a twinge of sorrow for this girl, a girl whom he'd never seen before, and for some reason, it all felt so familiar.

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As Hermione stepped into the common room, she felt herself hoping that no one would be around. She knew that sooner or later she would have to meet her dorm mates and the others in her year, but the longer she could put it off, the better. Her heart sank when she found the common room full of people, but it would have been foolish to really think no one would be around at this time. Most were studying, but there was a large group of people in the center of the room. Much to Hermione's dismay, most of them had their eyes on her. Mary was sitting in the middle of the group, squeezed onto the couch, and she was sending Hermione a warm smile.

"Hermione!" she called.

By the look of realization and curiosity on the others faces, it was clear that Mary had told her friends of their meeting.

"Uh, come and sit, I can introduce you to some of my friends. If you don't mind me asking though… what are you doing here, in the common room I mean." She must be curious to why the strange girl she had met was now suddenly in the Gryffindor common room, with a password to get in.

Hermione couldn't blame Mary for wanting to know. If it had been her in her place, she would have been full of questions as well. She quickly remembered back to what Dumbledore had said about not giving away her true identity.

"I'm a transfer student," Hermione said, using the best poker face she could muster up. They all gave her an odd look, but she continued nonetheless. "I'm coming here for my final year and just got sorted. It's why I needed to see professor Dumbledore. I'm sure you can tell where it placed me based on the fact that I'm standing here in front of you all." She shifted slightly in her stance before finally doing what Mary had said, and joined the group, standing just beside the couch.

It was then that her eyes finally met the faces of Mary's friends. They had been too far away to really get a good look at before. Most of the girls were just new faces to Hermione, but her eyes fell to the boy with shaggy black hair. She knew him somehow, he was so familiar. She then spotted the brown eyes of a boy with sandy brown hair who was looking up at her with a look of concentration. He looked almost like her- no, that was impossible, it must have just been a coincidence. Then, finally she met the gaze of..."Harry?" she gasped, staring at the boy with jet black hair and round glasses who was the spitting image of her best friend. Her eyes teared up as she looked into his, but there weren't right. They weren't the normal green she was used to.

He just started back at her, a confused look on his face. "Sorry?" he asked, unsure of what to say back to the teary eyed girl who had called him 'Harry.' "I'm not- My name's not Harry, actually, it's James. James Potter."

Hermione's eyes widened, still stinging slightly. James Potter- was Harry's father. That must mean- The redhead over in the armchair must be Lily Evans, his mother. The other two had to be Sirius Black and Remus Lupin. Her eyes fell once again to Lupin, her former professor. He looked so young. There were less scars upon his face, and without them he looked so different, as if the war hadn't affected him as much as it had in her own time.

Her eyes then settled on the last boy there. He was small and plump, and his face resembled that of a rat. Hermione knew exactly who he was. He was the one who would one day betray Lily and James, and help to bring back Voldemort. Peter Pettigrew.

Forcing herself not to lash out, or act irrationally, she turned her head back to James. She knew she couldn't let the future impact how she acted here, she had to keep it all a secret, and one wrong move could give away everything.

"I'm sorry," she said to James, "you just- well, you look a lot like a friend of mine. I'm sorry." She tried to push away the fear coursing through her with a meek smile. She knew these people, knew what they would grow up to become. In her future they knew her; how could this not change the future? Perhaps it already had.

"It's alright," James said slowly, confusion still evident in his expression.

Sirius was eying her skeptically. It was clear he didn't trust all that she said. This was going to be harder than Hermione had thought, and it had been impossible from the start.

"Since when has Hogwarts had exchange students?" Sirius asked, brow curved upward slightly.

Hermione hoped that it wouldn't be too hard to convince him. She already had enough to think about, being in a time where the adults in her life were her own age, and the dead stood before her, more youthful than she had ever seen them. She didn't need the added concern of Sirius' suspicion.

Before she could come up with an answer for Sirius though, Lily interjected, "Come off it. The girl probably has enough on her plate as it is. She doesn't need to deal with your snark." She sent Sirius a warning look before turning to Hermione with a smile. "Sorry 'bout him."

Hermione mustered up a smile that said 'Thank you' to Lily.

"I think I'd better go upstairs and get settled then." She needed a moment or two to process it all, and possibly a hot shower to calm her nerves. Her path was blocked however, when a girl came barreling down the stairs.

"There's another bed up there, trunks too. Am I going crazy or-" The girl's eyes landed on Hermione, whom she had not noticed before, and narrowed in confusion. After a moment her head show over to Mary, and she mouthed the words 'Is that her?' and jerked her thumb in Hermione's direction in a very unsubtle manner.

"Those would be mine," Hermione said, bringing all attention back to her. "And I should probably be going up to check it all." Without another word, Hermione hurried up the familiar stairs.

The dorms were just as she had remembered them to be. The only difference were the objects littering the nightside tables and trunks. The bed to the very right was the only one that seemed untouched, meaning it must be hers. Without hesitation, she dug into the trunk and pulled out a pair of pajamas and some toiletries before heading to the washroom to get herself cleaned up.

After a hot shower, Hermione found herself staring at her reflection in the mirror, grimacing at all the cuts and scars; it really was bad. She cast a few simple healing spells, which got rid of most of the smaller injuries, but there were just some scars that would never leave her, including the horrid word left imprinted on her arm.

She knew the other girls would have questions, and Hermione would have to answer them. Avoidance would only add to the suspicion. She would have to perfect her story, which wouldn't be too hard, as she had already come up with most of it.

Quickly, she pulled on the red, cotton pajamas that had been with her things, and departed back into the dorm.

Just as she had thought, all the girls were already there, getting ready for bed. They all stopped when she entered the room, and stared briefly before going back to their things.

"Did you find everything alright?" Mary asked.

Hermione nodded slightly and said, "Yeah, thanks. I managed." She moved to tuck her used items into her trunk and sat cross-legged on her bed.

The questions came, just as she had expected them to. Hermione answered them all to the best of her ability, filling their minds with visions of a normal half-blood who had been born here, but moved to America when she was nine. She told them it was because of her fathers work that she moved around so much, and why she had returned here now. Of course, they asked what her father did, in which she responded, "He works in the Department of International Affairs, at the Ministry."

Luckily for Hermione, her tale seemed to work well enough, and soon their questions turned into regular chatter. Suddenly, Hermione felt herself enjoying this casual setting, the simple talk. There were even moments when the thought of war left her mind. Of course it would come slamming back, but even momentary release from the pain was better than nothing.

She mostly just observed as the girls talked of boys, classes, and the next Hogsmeade trip, and couldn't help but smile. They were all so different, but they reminded her of home.

Lily was just as she would have imagined her to be, based on the few things Harry had been told of his mother. She was fiery, passionate, and very bright. In a way, she reminded Hermione of Ginny. The looks were the main cause of that.

Mary was bubbly and animate. The girl had an odd sense of humor, but was always making the others laugh. She was also trying her hardest to include Hermione in the conversation.

Dorcas Meadowes, a girl with black hair the length of her ears, always carried a warm smile. She seemed to be the most motherly of the group, yet somehow also held a certain mischievousness to her.

Marlene Mckinnon was quiet in this group setting. She hid behind mousy, brown side bangs and only spoke up every once in a while.

Emmeline Vance, the last of the 7th year Gryffindor girls, rivaled Lily for the title of loudest in the group. Her brown hair was long, and wispy bangs covered her forehead. She was fairly obnoxious, Hermione noted, and was always quick to voice her opinion quite bluntly. She was sarcastic and, in some ways, a bit rude, but the other girls didn't seem to care all that much, and would just laugh whenever she did something like butt in on a conversation.

They were all different in many ways, yet they all seemed to fit together so easily. Eventually, one by one, the girls fell asleep. Mary first, followed by Lily, and then Marlene. Dorcas and Emmeline talked in hushed whispers for awhile longer, until even they went to sleep, leaving Hermione alone in the dark underneath her covers.

She pulled out her wand and spoke a quiet silencing charm on her bed posts before shutting the curtains. She knew the nightmares would come, they always did, but this way no one would hear her if she spoke out in her sleep.

Hermione closed her eyes and fell into the darkness that followed. Her mind was filled with screams and visions of the world she left behind. Over and over again, she saw the image of Ron's lifeless body falling to the ground,all the while struggling to fight her way to the light of morning.


End file.
